Administration of medicament



May 1, 1951 G. R. RYAN ET AL ADMINISTRATION OF MEDICAMENT Filed March 18, 1949 INVENTORS. e Z? 1? :2

Patented May 1, 1951 ADMINISTRATION OF MEDICAMENT- George R. Ryan, Waukegan, and Ferdinand H. Young, Lake Bluff, Ill., assignors to Abbott Laboratories, North Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application March 18, 1949, Serial No. 82,066

Claims.

Our invention relates to the administration of medicaments, and includes among its objects and advantages, equipment for parenteral administration of medicament in a form that permits the use of a disposable container and syringe. In the accompanying drawings;

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a syringe according to the invention;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section of the syringe of Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is a detailed view of a modification.

In the embodiment of the invention selected for illustration, the syringe comprises a cylindrical barrel [0 of transparent plastic. The barrel is closed at its lower end by the bottom 12 from" which a central tapered boss l4 projects downwardly a short distance. The needle It may be of generally conventional construction. and is firmly imbedded in the boss M and bottom [2. At the upper end of the barrel ID We provide oppositely extending arms I8 to function as finger grips, which arms are formed integral with the barrel. In the embodimentof Figures 1 and 2 the syringe is made up at the factory in completely sterile condition, with a charge of medicament 20 in the barrel and a rubber piston 22 provided with relief and lubricant-retaining grooves 24 and a cupped bottom 25, which provides clearance for the inner end 21 of the cannula I6. Because the inner end 21 does thus project, assembly without plugging the cannula is facilitated. The lower end of the needle [6 is imbedded in a sealing block 26 of rubber. or plastic. Where the medicament is such that it will not harden in the cannula I6, the factory assembly may be made up with the medicament 20 filling the cannula. But otherwise the cannula is left empty of medicament and the user can fill it very simply just before inserting the cannula.

We also provide a cannula cover and piston rod in the nature of a tube 28 of a size to slide without friction in the barrel l0 and with one end open and the other closed by a bottom 30 having a concave seat 32 to receive the .pressure of the users thumb in making an injection. At the factory these parts are assembled with the cannula cover in the dotted line position of Figure 2 with the cover thrust onto the tapered boss l4 with sufficient pressure to avoid dislodging it by shock during shipping or handling, but easily removable by the intentional exertion of manual force. To provide a desirable permanence for this connection, the inner surface of the open end 2 of the tube 28 is slightly bevelled as indicated at 34 in Figure 2.

It will be noted that whereas the inside of the barrel l0 above the piston 22 is not protected and kept antiseptic, there is no possibility of any contamination reaching the medicament 20. Even with fingers that are not at all clean or sterile, the user can take hold of the parts and pull the cover 28 off and insert it in the full-line position of Figure 2 and pull the closure plug 26 off the end of the needle and then insert the ineedle into the patient without any contact of any part of the needle with unsterile material.

The subsequent pressure on the foot 32 can then expel the perfectly sterile medicament into the desired location.

The cover 28 is also made of transparent plastic. Thus the purchaser, as well as the inspector at the place of manufacture, can see the needle [6 as well as the charge 20, and defective units can be more reliably sorted out and discarded.

According to the modification of Figure 3, the solid plug 26 is omitted and the bottom of the modified cover 36'is provided with a plug 38of transparent plastic of the'same general character as that of the cover itself, except that the ingredients are so selected' that the plastic 'remains soft like fresh putty. For instance, a cover of methyl methacrylate resin and a plug of vinyl resin, work very well together. Assembly of the cover with the barrel forces the cannula I6 into the filling 38 to seal the tip and keep it sterile. The'modified device is used in the same identical way, except that the manipulation i's-a little simpler because there is no need for the user to pull the plug 26 off. Because the plug 26 is quite small, there is always a possibility that a very careless user might touch the cannula 16 with the 'fingersin pulling off the plug. It is easy to remove the plu without doing this, but it is also'easy for a careless person to do it,

' whereas with the modification of Figure 3' there is no occasion for the user to put his fingers anypieces projecting in opposite directions from an open end of said tube; a bottom closure at the opposite end of said tube; a tapered boss coaxial with said tube and projecting outwardly from said bottom closure; said tube, arms, bottom and boss being a single integral piece of plastic material; a cannula firmly imbedded in said boss and bot.- tom coaxial with said tube; the inner end of said cannula projecting above the inner surface of said bottom; the outer end of said cannula having a penetrating point; a solid yielding plug thrust on said penetrating point and sealing the same; a charge of medicament in said tube a tubular cannula cover coaxial with said tube and thrust on said boss; said cover having .a closed bottom or foot beyond the end of said cannula and beyond said plug; said closed bottomcxtendr ing radially outward to define a pressure foot; a rubber piston fitting snugly in said tube :in con: tact with said charge of medicament at the end r mote sa d ca nu a; sa d isto bein cup shaped and opening downwardly; the

t nor su fac s of sa d piston, can ul an pl and of a d tu e elow a d Piston b ing s rile; t e inter or of sa d are and the ex e ior Surface if sa d bass exp sed ins de said over being s erile; sa c ver hav n an outs de d am te such tha it sli es ea i ith ut fr c n ns d sa d tube; wher b said co er may be emove and u ed a a. piston rod t e sai piston an ex el the char e of medicament- :2- A di osa le m di am nt s rin e compr sin a on miece body including a cylin ri al tube of unifo m re; opposed arm nieces p oject ng i opposite directions from an open end of said tube; a bottom closure at the opposite ,end of Said tube; a tapered boss coaxial with said tube and proiecting outwardly from said bottom closure; said tube, arms, bottom and boss being a single integral piece of plastic material; a cannula firmly imbedded in said boss and bottom coaxial with said tube; the inner end of said cannula extending above the inner surface of said bottom; the outer end .of said cannula having a penetrating point; a solid elastic plug thrust on said penetrating point and sealing the same; .a charge of medicament in said tube; a tubular cannula cover coaxial with said tube and thrust on said boss; said cover having a closed bottom or foot beyond the end of said cannula and beyond said plug;

said closed bottom extending radially outward to define a pressure foot; a rubber piston fitting snugly in said tube in contact with said charge .of medicament at the .end remote from said cannula; the interior surfaces of said piston, cannula and plug, and of said tube below said piston, being sterile; the interior-of said cover and the exterior surface vof said boss exposed inside said cover being sterile; said cover having an outside diameter such that it slides easily without friction inside said tube; whereby said cover may be removed and used as a piston rod to move said piston and expel the charge of medicament; said piston lying below the open end of said tube adistance greater than the diameter of said tube,

whereby said piston rod may be inserted in and guided by said tube in advance of any displace ment .of said piston.

A disposable medicament syringe comprising a cylindrical tube of uniform bore; arm pieces projecting from an open end of said tube; a bot,- tom closure at the opposite end of said tube; a boss coaxial with said tube and projecting .out-

wardly from said bottom closure; a cannula firmly embedded in said boss and bottom coaxial with said tube; the inner end of said cannula projecting above the inner surface of said bottom; the outer end of said cannula having a penetrating point; an elastic plug thrust on said penetrating point and sealing the same; a charge of medicainept in said tube; a tubular cannula cover coaxial with said tube and thrust on said boss and held on said boss by friction; said cover having a closed bottom or foot beyond the end of said cannula and beyond said plug; a rubber piston fitting snugly in said tube in contact with said charge of medicament at the end remote from said cannula; the interior surfaces of said piston, cannula and plug, and of said tube below said piston, being sterile; the interior of said cover and the exterior surface of said boss exposed inside said cover being sterile; said cover having an outside diameter such that it slides easily without friction ide s d tube; w ereby said cove m y be rem d a d u ed as a p ston ro to move sa p ston a d e pel the h e o medicament.

4. A disposable medicament syringe comprising a cylindrical tube of uniform bore; arm pie es pr e ing f o an open and o d tube; a bottom closure at the op osite end of said tube; a boss coaxial with said tube and projecting outwardly from said bottom closure; a cannula firmly imbedded in said boss and bottom coaxial with said tube; the inner end of said cannula projecting above the inner surface of said bottom; the Outer end of said cannula having a penetrating point; an elastic plug thrust .on said penetrating point and sealing the same; a charge of medicament in said tube; a tubular cannula cover coaxial with said tube and thrust on said boss and held .on said boss by frictiO l; said cover having a closed bottom or foot beyond the end of said cannula and beyond said plug; a rubber piston fittin ,Snugly in said tube in contact with said charge of medicament at the end remote from said cannula; the interior surfaces of said p ton can ula and plu and o Said ub below said piston, being sterile; the interior of said cover and the exterior surface of said boss ex.- posed inside said cover being sterile; said cover havin an outside diameter such that it slides easily without friction inside said tube; whereby said cover may be removed and used as a piston rod to move said piston and expel the charge of med camen s id p u bei embedd d in h closed end of said ,coveix whereby it is thrust on said cannula by putting said cover in place and Pu led. of by rem in s i co er- A yrin a o n o clai 3 i w ich sa plu i emb dded i t end o a d an u cover and thrust onto said cannula by putting said cover in place.

GEORGE E. RYAN. FERDINAND H. YOUNG.

REFERENCES CITED {The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UN ED ST E TE 

